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dulcet

adjective
dul·​cet | \ ˈdÉ™l-sÉ™t How to pronounce dulcet (audio) \

Definition of dulcet

1 : sweet to the taste
2 : pleasing to the ear dulcet tones
3 : generally pleasing or agreeable a dulcet smile
Other Words from dulcet Synonyms & Antonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about dulcet

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Other Words from dulcet

dulcetly adverb

Did You Know?

Dulcet has many linguistic ancestors, including the Latin dulcis, Anglo-French douz, and Middle English "doucet," all meaning "sweet." The dulcet "dulcis" has contributed many other sweet terms to English as well. Among these are the musical direction "dolce" ("to be played sweetly, softly"), "dulciana" (a pipe organ stop), "dolcian" (a small bassoon-like instrument used in the 16th and 17th centuries), and "dulcimer" (an American folk instrument). On a similar note, the word dulcify means "to make sweet," and the adjective "doux," derived from "douz," is used in wine circles to describe champagne that is sweet.

Examples of dulcet in a Sentence

the dulcet tones of her voice although she flashed a dulcet smile, she was secretly seething with resentment

Recent Examples on the Web

 But inside and down a few stairs, there is faint, dulcet chanting piped through speakers. — Written By Kaya Laterman; Photographs By Mark Abramson, New York Times, "In Brooklyn, a Hare Krishna Reckoning," 22 Dec. 2017 The dulcet tones of Kylie Jenner's secret album made with input from Kanye and Tyga? — Sarah Lindig, Cosmopolitan, "Well This Was Bound to Happen: Kylie Jenner Is Reportedly Working on a Secret Album," 12 June 2015

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dulcet.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of dulcet

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for dulcet

Middle English doucet, from Anglo-French, from duz, douz sweet, from Latin dulcis; perhaps akin to Greek glykys sweet

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More Definitions for dulcet

dulcet

adjective
How to pronounce dulcet (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of dulcet

formal : pleasant to hear

See the full definition for dulcet in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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